Hera
Hera is the queen of the Greek gods, sister and wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage, family, motherhood, sovereign feminine, female royalty. Roman equivalent: Juno. Famously jealous of Zeus's constant infidelities, but also goddess of immense personal dignity, power and patroness of monogamous marriage and protective motherhood.
Mythology
Hera was the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hestia. She married her brother Zeus (consanguineous incest, frequent in mythological pantheons), with whom she had children: Ares (god of war), Hephaestus (god of forge), Hebe (goddess of youth), Eilithyia (goddess of childbirth). She is most famous for her jealousy and revenge against Zeus's lovers and the children Zeus had with mortal or other goddesses (Heracles, Dionysus, Apollo and many others suffered at the hands of Hera).
But beyond her famous "jealous" aspect, Hera is much more: she is queen Olympic sovereign by right; protector of legitimate marriage and monogamy in patriarchal Greek society; guardian of mother dignity and protective wife. Her sacred temples (especially the Heraion of Argos and that of Samos) were among the most important of the Greek world. The Greeks venerated Hera with deep respect — her supposed jealousy is partially a polemical projection of patriarchal society against the powerful feminine that would not accept Zeus's endless infidelities.
Symbolism and modern reading
Symbols: peacock (her sacred bird; the "eyes" of the peacock's tail are the eyes of her servant Argos transformed — Argos guarded one of the lovers of Zeus, Zeus killed him to free her, Hera kept his eyes in the peacock as eternal reminder), cuckoo, cow (epithet "ox-eyed Hera"), diadem, regal sceptre, pomegranate (fertility), lily. Sacred colours: deep blue, gold.
Modern reading: Hera represents the integrated mature feminine queen — the woman who claims her place of dignity in the world, her legitimate sovereignty, her power without surrender. She is not naive innocent feminine nor "always sweet": she is firm, demanding, queen. In modern Wicca and feminist neo-paganism, Hera is invoked for: 1) Strengthening of healthy committed marriages (and ending of unhealthy ones — Hera does not tolerate disrespect). 2) Protection of motherhood. 3) Recovery of the dignity wounded by infidelity or betrayal. 4) Mature feminine empowerment of leadership. 5) Defence of family wealth.
Also known as
- Juno (Roman)
- Queen of the gods
- Ox-eyed Hera